The Fencing Excuse
by thewitchofoz19
Summary: When Marinette's entire class finds out how muscularly toned she is, she panics and says it's because she fences. One thing leads to another and suddenly she's talked into dueling Adrien for fun. She needs help, and turns to her superhero counterpart for it. Mainly a Marichat fic. K may change to a T rating later.
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone! This story I'm really excited about, because hopefully it will evolve into a multichapter fic. Some Adrienette, lots of Marichat. I'm not sure yet, but it may turn into an accidental reveal fic, too. What do you think? If you lean strongly one way or another, feel free to tell me! People really seemed to like it on Tumblr, so I can't wait to hear feedback here! Enjoy!

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Paris in the summer usually brought moderately warm temperatures; enough to distinguish the summer season, but not hot enough to be miserable. However, today was the fourth day in a record breaking soaring of temperatures in Paris. The mercury had been creeping around 35 degrees Celsius for what felt like an eternity.

This, of course, did not stop Alya from organizing a picnic for her entire class one Saturday so they could meet up over their school break. She told everyone to meet in a central location of the Champ de Mars, and assigned everyone to bring different things. Rose and Juleka were bringing blankets, Nathanael brought two large sun umbrellas, Adrien had coolers filled with lunch and snacks, Kim and Alix were bringing games, and Marinette was bringing dessert from the bakery. Alya made sure she brought a large cooler with plenty of cold drinks to combat the heat.

Slowly, the class began to assemble and set up their picnic. Kids were scattered around on multiple blankets, chatting and catching up in the shade.

Alya was beginning to get worried. Even Chloe and Sabrina had arrived, but there was still no sign of Marinette. She stepped away from her conversation with Nino to call Marinette.

"Hey, Marinette! Where are you?"

"I'm almost here, there's a lot of desserts to carry! Give me another two minutes," replied a very flustered Marinette through the phone.

"Get here quickly! Everyone's here already and Adrien looks very handsome in summer clothes," Alya giggled.

Indeed, the unprecedented heat caused everyone to shed their usual outfits in exchange for lighter summer gear. There was a colorful array of summer clothing ranging from sporty shorts to flowery tank tops within the group.

"I'll be there soon enough, see you in a minute!", responded Marinette in a much more excited tone. Alya chuckled at the thought of Marinette increasing her pace to see Adrien in summer clothes, and returned to the blankets.

Alya settles on a blanket with Adrien and Nino to talk about their vacations thus far. She had been in an animated discussion describing videographic techniques she used on the Ladyblog when Alya looked up to see Marinette making her way over with a very large basket held in her arms. She peeked around the side of the basket to ask, "Alya, where am I putting this basket?"

"Put it next to these lunch coolers by Adrien," she waved in Adrien's general direction to the coolers right behind him.

Marinette glanced at the coolers, then took a few long seconds to stare at how perfect Adrien looked in casual summer clothes. Careful not to trip, she made her way over, placed the heavy basket down, then brushed her hands slightly.

Marinette put her hands on her waist and said, "Alright, dessert is here!"

She looked over to Alya, Nino, and Adrien sitting just below her, and they all stared up at her with their mouths dropped slightly open. She looked up to her classmates to see that all conversation had ceased and they were all staring at her in a similar fashion. The smile on her face vanished and she turned back to Alya.

"Alya, what's wrong?"

"Um, well, Marinette… How do I say this, but…"

"Dude, you're ripped!", cut in Nino.

Of course she was. Her tank tank hung loosely on her shoulders, exposing her bare arms. Marinette's arms were smoothly toned, showing the kind of intense athletic prowess only brought on by years of hard work. Crossing her arms across her chest in a defensive position, she knew that everyone was watching as her muscles flexed and stretched in the sunlight.

No one could know that her muscles had developed as she took on the role of Ladybug and begin gallivanting across the rooftops of Paris fighting evil. She had to make something up, fast.

Marinette was panicking, trying to think of an excuse. It would have to be a believable sport of some kind. She snuck a glance at Adrien, who was staring up at her in a mixture of shock and awe.

She couldn't think of anything else, so she just blurted, "Fencing! I fence in my spare time. It's a real workout."

With a nervous laugh, she lowers herself onto the blanket next to Alya, hoping the attention was off of her for now.

Alya definitely wouldn't let that slide. "How come I never knew you fenced?"

Much to Marinette's horror, Adrien chimed in too. "It's really cool that you fence, Marinette. I've always enjoyed it."

Marinette wasn't sure how to respond, given that her awful excuse seemed to have worked.

"Oh it's just something I do in my free time occasionally. It's no big deal really," she said.

Nino thought for a moment, then said, "What if you and Adrien had a friendly match or something? It would be really cool to see both of you use your fencing skills."

For the second time that day, Marinette freezes. She already dug herself into a hole with the fencing excuse she used to explain her muscles. She didn't have the faintest idea of how fencing worked. If she had to fence Adrien, her lie would fall apart and put her in danger of having her identity revealed.

In a desperate attempt to avoid certain doom Marinette said, "There's no way I could do that! I'm way out of practice I haven't fenced in forever!" She shrugs her shoulders and flashes a disappointed smile to the group.

Kim suddenly chimes in from across another blanket. "C'mon Marinette. You can't back down from a challenge like that!"

Her heart drops as more and more of her class members voice their agreement.

Even Alya joined in to whisper, "Wouldn't it be great to do something with Adrien one-on-one?"

Marinette didn't know what else to say, so she reluctantly answered, "I guess I'll do a match… But I need to get some practice in first, ok?"

Cheers rose among the students, then left it to Alya to set up the date and time.

Alya looked back and forth between the fencing duo. "What day works for you guys?"

Adrien responded first. "My modeling schedule can be pretty erratic during the week, so could we do a weekend? Maybe two Saturdays from now?"

Two weeks? She only had two weeks to prepare? Marinette was feeling slightly nauseous. Maybe Chat would know someone who could help her. Otherwise, she was screwed. She slowly responded, "Um, I guess Saturday works for me. But what time?"

"How about three? I could get my fencing instructor to let us use the gym where I practice."

Marinette nodded wearily, knowing that her fate was sealed.

Alya announced to the group, "Alright, everyone. Two weeks from now at 3 o'clock, Adrien and Marinette will have a fencing duel! I'll text everyone the details later!"

The class was abuzz with excitement over the duel. As they continued to hang out, they couldn't stop talking about it. Bets were already being taken by Kim over who will win, and everyone was getting in on it.

Eventually, some of the kids had gotten bored, then got up to play frisbee for a change of activity.

Marinette looked over to see Alix make a great catch. She turned in the group's direction and called out to the girls, "Marinette! Alya! Come play with us!"

"Let's go play Frisbee with them, Marinette. It'll be fun," Alya says as she gets up and pulls Marinette up with her. She waves goodbye to the guys and says, "We'll talk to you guys later alright?"

Marinette shyly waves to the boys before running over with Alya.

The rest of the day went fairly well for Marinette, considering much of the hype surrounding her… erm… "level of fitness" had died down. She was still really worried over the two week deadline. Either she learn how to fence or be able to explain away her muscles to an entire class of suspicious kids. She was lost in her thoughts when she suddenly heard, "Marinette! Look out!" Snapping out of her reverie, she looks up to see the frisbee hurtling towards her above her head. Breaking into a sprint, she runs below the frisbee until she had enough momentum to make a gargantuan leap in the air and catch it. She lands back on the ground with the grace of a ballerina and turns to her cheering teammates. Marinette's face splits into a grin and she runs back to the game.

Maybe in two weeks her life will be over, but at least for now she's having fun.

Meanwhile, a certain blonde-haired model was caught in an internal turmoil. Since when has Marinette done fencing? How had he not known before? Adrien had no idea how to process her muscles either. Who knew that tiny, clumsy Marinette could probably bench Ivan? He just couldn't get over how different she looks. It's not a bad different, either.

Looking over to the frisbee game, he sees Marinette be shaken out of a stupor by her screaming teammates and take off into a full run. "She's not going to make it," he thinks to himself, anxiously watching her inch closer to the frisbee. Then, she makes a flying leap into the air, and catches it on the tip of her fingers. For the second time today, Adrien's mouth drops to the floor. While reaching through the air, Marinette's shirt rides up a little, exposing her stomach. Her flat stomach, traced with the ghost of 6-pack abs. Adrien was literally speechless. He gulped, and looked around to see that no one else on the blankets was really paying attention to the game. He had no idea how to process the image now burned into his brain, but he didn't necessarily mind it being there.

He was looking forward to this duel.


	2. Chapter 2

Finally here's Chapter 2! I've been balancing studying for exams and writing this, and I'm glad to say Chapter 2 is done! I actually planned the story out to have 7 chapters in total, but it could always change. Tell me what you think, or if anything needs to be edited!

* * *

Marinette's mind was racing almost as fast as she was running across the rooftops of Paris. After spending her afternoon at the picnic with her class, she spent the good part of the evening freaking out about her impending fencing date. By now, her internet history was clogged with videos of fencing matches and articles about fencing form.

With each link she had clicked, she fell into greater despair. She needed an expert. She first needed to find someone who knew how to find said expert. Of course, this someone was her very last resort, Chat.

As dusk fell, night creeped through her windows and threw darkness across her room. After another wildly complex article discussing the finer points of the balestra foot technique, Marinette huffed in frustration and rolled away from her desk.

"Chat has to know someone. He's the only one neutral in this situation, maybe he can help me."

Tikki looked on in concern.

"Marinette, I don't think this is a good idea."

Marinette let out a dry laugh and said, "I don't think so either… But Tikki, I'm in way too over my head. I really don't want to involve Chat in this, of all people, but I'm getting desperate."

Tikki sighed, and said, "Alright, we have to patrol with him tonight anyways. You can ask then. Better sooner rather than later with the match deadline."

Marinette quickly agreed, and transformed to take off into the night.

So here she was, searching for Chat on the rooftops, trying to formulate what to say.

Eventually, she met up with Chat on a nameless rooftop.

"My beautiful Ladybug, you look as lovely as ever tonight," said Chat, with a smirk on his lips and a glimmer in his eye.

Ladybug swallowed her thoughts, deciding to put them away until the end of the night. She rolled her eyes in a good-natured fashion and brushed off his flirtatious comments with a sassy return.

"Let's go kitty, we have work to do."

The night was quiet and uneventful, leaving Ladybug's thoughts to simmer uneasily in her mind. If he didn't have an answer for her, she'd look like a fool, and also be out of options. As the evening came to a close, Ladybug decided that she had to swallow her pride and ask. They stood, side by side on the rooftop, a comfortable silence between them. It's now or never.

"Hey, Chat?", she ventured.

"Yes, my Lady?"

"I know someone who is in a peculiar situation right now, and they came to me for help. Now, I'm coming to you for help because I don't have the answer."

"I'll do my best, what do you need?", he asked, turning to stare at her inquisitively.

"So you know Marinette Dupain-Cheng, right? Well, she has been challenged to a fencing match by a classmate, and she is, uh, out of practice. Would you happen to know someone that could help her? Be an instructor of some sort? Just to familiarize her with the basics."

Chat took a moment to think about the question. Marinette did say that she was out of practice at the picnic. Maybe she wanted to fine tune her skills, and maybe she doesn't even have a coach for herself. A little spark of inspiration flared up in his head.

"I think that my vast pool of resources can dig someone up somewhere." Chat had a wicked grin that curled higher every second that his plan began to grow in his mind. "Let's meet up same time tomorrow night and I'll tell you my findings."

Ladybug, slightly concerned about his current facial expression, just chose to say, "I really appreciate that Chat, but you don't need to kill yourself over it."

He smirked and said, "No trouble at all! Anything to help out a friend of my Lady."

Seeing her face light up made his heart warm in the chilly night.

"Thank you thank you thank you! She'll really appreciate it."

He smiled, and bid her goodnight.

Chat needed time to think about his plan. He could be Marinette's instructor as Chat! He would be lying if he said that he wasn't desperately curious to learn about Marinette's hidden hobby. It would be fun to see how she spars before their match. Finally reaching his house, he undoes his transformation.

"Plagg, I think I'll be Marinette's fencing instructor! That way we can practice together and I can see what she's got. I think she'll be a tough opponent, she looked super in shape at the picnic."

Plagg was slightly suspicious, "You mean you want to see what she's got so you can beat her easier at the match right?"

Adrien leveled a glare at Plagg, then said, "No, I just want to see how she plays. No ulterior motives here."

Plagg shrugged and floated off in search of cheese, grumbling, "No ulterior motives my foot."

Adrien sighed, and continued to scheme. He'd visit her the next night, before he'd even need to meet up with Ladybug. Introduce himself as her knight in shining armor. He smiled contentedly. Tomorrow was going to be fun.

The day began for Marinette by continuing her obsessive research of the art of fencing, courtesy of the internet. Over the course of the day, her brain became further jumbled with a mess of different terms and and moves. Too soon, the pink hues of sunset splashed across her windows. Her eyes had long unfocused from the bright computer screen in front of her. The combination of yesterday's and today's research did not make her any less uneasy about the whole situation. Hopefully, Chat will be some help tonight when they meet up again.

From below her, she heard her mother call out, "Marinette! Come down for supper!"

Marinette sighed and closed out windows one by one before getting out of her chair. She began to make her way downstairs for dinner, trying to formulate her priorities list. First she needed a teacher. That was in progress, she was only waiting to talk to Chat tonight. Next, she needed some gear. A mask, uniform, gloves, a sword of some sort (she had done exhaustive research regarding the differences between a foil, epee, and sabre, but she had little to no idea what to do with that information), and protective guards as basics. Finally, she needed to learn how to fence from someone who knew how. Internet videos could only do so much. She needed to tangibly feel and see how a move works. A "lunge" or a "parry" were only so good if she did them herself, and got feedback on how to improve.

Dinner progressed as normal as any other, and afterwards her parents bid her farewell to go to a family friend's anniversary party. Marinette followed her parents down to the first floor to say goodbye.

"Have a great time!", Marinette said, waving to her lovely parents as they walked away.

"Have a nice evening, Marinette! Make sure to lock up the bakery!", called back Sabine, and she and Tom waved before going on their way again.

Marinette closed the bakery door and locked it before trudging back upstairs. She cleared the dinner table and Tikki grabbed a few cookies. Before heading up to her room, Marinette spotted the light plastic broom in her kitchen.

"Tikki, do you think I could practice with this?", Marinette asked, picking up and testing the weight of the broom in her hands. Giggling, she twirled it around a few times like Chat would.

"Given your situation, you can't complain with anything you can use as equipment for now," Tikki responded. Looking out at the now dark night, she asked, "When are we meeting up with Chat?"

"Well, it's nearly 8:30, and I'll probably meet him at 11, so I have time. Maybe I can practice a little bit from what I've learned!"

The pair ventured upstairs, and Marinette went back to her computer to find a good introduction video.

About an hour later, she had barely gotten through three videos and was sweating fairly well. Fencing, even without a partner, was a lot more involved than she thought it would be.

Once the third video tortuously ended, she scowled and flopped face first onto her bed. At the very least, she had started to pair physical movements with the technical definitions she had been reading about.

Marinette rolled over and took a deep breath. She was tired and achy. Maybe she could take a nap before she had to meet Chat later.

"Tikki?"

"Yes, Marinette?"

"Could you wake me up before I have to leave?"

"Sure! Have a nice nap."

Tikki zoomed away, possibly downstairs to grab more cookies. Marinette began to drift off into a light sleep when she heard it.

knockknockknock.

She was too groggy to think anything of it, until she heard it again.

knockknockknock.

Groaning, she sat up. The knocking had definitely come from the upstairs entrance to the roof. She had a horrible feeling of who it could be, but refused to acknowledge it until she saw it for herself. Marinette opened the hatch and let the sticky warm air of the night mix with the cool AC of her house to see none other than Chat.

Slightly dumbfounded, she didn't know what to say other than, "Hello?"

Smirking, Chat replied, "We meet again, Princess. I heard that you were in need of a little help."

A little help? A little fencing help? He should have waited to meet her later and talk to Ladybug. This was ludicrous.

"Help with what, exactly, that would excuse the fact that you are here on my roof at night?"

"Well, it seems that we have a mutual friend that says you might need help with an area that I have plenty of expertise in."

Marinette's jaw dropped. Her fencing instructor is him? There's no way it could be him.

First of all, he never told her he fenced. They don't know everything about each other, obviously, but Chat is so proud of his athleticism. It made her wonder how much she didn't know.

Pushing her thoughts aside, she instead focused on her immediate problem.

"Well, I did mention to Ladybug that I needed help with fencing, but I didn't realize that you were qualified to do so."

He replied, "I have many hidden talents. And how can I deny such a fine young woman access to them?"

Marinette groaned internally at the thought of her next sentence.

"Well, it would be rude for me not to invite you in."

Picking up a black gym bag that Marinette had previously not noticed was laying at his feet, Chat made his way over to the trap door and followed Marinette down into her room.

He turned to Marinette and asked, "How much time do you have to practice?"

At that, she grimaced, before saying, "Just under two weeks."

"Perfect! We can get you back into practice easily in that time!"

That particular comment made Marinette feel queasy. Considering she technically had zero experience with fencing, "getting her into practice" will be difficult." She could only hope her elevated athleticism as Ladybug and her good luck will shine through. Marinette was pulled out of her thoughts when Chat asked her another question.

"If you're alright with it, do you mind if we start tonight? Just so I can see where you are?"

"Sure, we can do that."

"Alright, we probably don't need any of the fancy gear yet. I brought blade covers for the swords. Do you have your sword?"

If one counts a broomstick handle as a sword, then yes. Otherwise, Marinette was out of luck. She had to think up another story, as if she doesn't have enough of those tangled up in this stupid fencing excuse.

"Well, here's the thing Chat," she began sheepishly. "It's been so long that I don't know where the sword is. Oh! And I'm pretty sure I've outgrown it too."

"That's fine, Marinette! I actually brought an extra sword with me. What sword do you usually use?"

Marinette took a quick second to think of her research before answering. "I've only really ever used Foils. I never really advanced far beyond the beginner stage."

This puzzled Chat for a moment, considering that Marinette had the muscle definition of a professional fencer. He wrote it off as her being humble. He knew that Marinette was never one for being a bragger.

"Well, regardless of your level, Foil often requires a lot of strategy and technique. I've only done Epee and Foil, and honestly I enjoy foil swords more. It's a good thing, too that I brought my foil swords then, right?"

Marinette nodded in agreement released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding while he unpacked. She passed her first test! She was able to talk about fencing with someone who actually fenced!

After Chat had taken out all of his stuff, he gave a sword to Marinette. She tested it out in her hands, feeling the weight and displacement of it in her hands. A surge of Ladybug confidence surged through her. She could do this. She had Chat to get the technical aspects of the game down, but she can always hold her own in a fight.

Chat said, "Alright, let's start with the basics. Show me your en garde."

Marinette straightened up, and got into position. Going through her mental list, she first set her front foot forward, and put her back foot at a 90 degree angle. She aligned her hips and shoulders, and relaxed her back hand. Finally, she extended the sword forward into her en garde.

Chat circled her slowly, eyeing her stance up and down. Marinette felt slightly embarrassed under the gaze of his critical eye, but steeled her eyes forward and focused on holding her stance. Finally, he come to her front and said, "Excellent stance, I would only fix one thing."

He took the end of the foil near her hand and gently nudged its tip farther to the right. "Remember, your sword must start in the correct quadrant. other than that, you're pretty solid. You can relax."

She nodded, then released her stance. "What's next?", she asked.

"If you're asking if we are sparring today, then the answer is no, Princess. This is more of a diagnostic session," he said jokingly.

Marinette crossed her arms in mock impatience, and said, "I can't learn anything if you keep talking."

"I mean, you already know this stuff, it's just review, so I think it's fine if we can talk at least occasionally," he bantered right back to her.

Marinette laughed off his comment, and with a "silly kitty," she dropped it. Internally, however, she was freaking out. She has to be more careful with what she says. As far as Chat, and everyone, knows, she has lots of experience with fencing. She can't slip up, especially now that Chat is involved.

The rest of their time together was short. Chat quizzed her on different moves and had her demonstrate. True to form, she would execute the move nearly perfectly. To Chat's standards, she knew her stuff, and once she practiced, she'll be really good. Marinette thanked her ladybug luck for being able to pass Chat's scrutiny. With the exception of minor technical errors, she had retained most of the basic information she had memorized.

Her exhaustion had disappeared the moment Chat stepped into her room. The time they spent together had been exhilarating. Presently, the clock was inching closer and closer towards the time Chat and Ladybug were to meet. Marinette was eyeing the clock, and just when she was about to say something, Chat said, "I'm going to have to get going soon. I have to meet my Lady soon. I can tell her that her friend is all set," he winked at her. Marinette walked him over to her hatch and they climbed up to the roof together. Facing him, Marinette said with a playful grin, "Let's see if I can tell her before you can."

"Sounds like a challenge to me, Princess. I don't think you'll be able to win, though. We're meeting in a few minutes."

Marinette smirked, "We'll see about that. Go on your way and let's see who can tell who first."

Chat walked towards the roof edge, ready to take off, but turned around to face Marinette first. "I'll see you tomorrow night, Marinette? We have a lot of work to do."

"Come over whenever," she replied.

Chat waved a final time and took off into the night.

Marinette kept the serene smile on her face until she left the roof and closed the hatch. Alone in her room, except for wherever Tikki would be hiding, Marinette burst into maniacal laughter.

Tikki floated out, and Marinette called over to her, "Chat thinks that he'll be able to tell Ladybug about tonight before I can!" Marinette wiped tears from her eyes, trying to control her laughter.

Tikki giggled, then said, "Let's go then! Make a show out of it."

"Believe me, Tikki, I plan to."

* * *

A little while later, Chat was sitting on the edge of a rooftop, enjoying the quiet evening. Then he hears her.

"CHAT NOIR."

Gulping, he turns around to Ladybug stalking across the rooftop.

"CHAT NOIR, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU TEACHING MARINETTE FENCING? WHEN I SAID SHE NEEDED SOMEONE, I DID NOT MEAN YOU!"

Aside from the immediate terror he was feeling, he had to admit that Marinette got it to Ladybug quicker than he thought she would. He laughed and shook his head.

Score 1, Marinette.


	3. Chapter 3

AHHHHHH LET ME START BY PROFUSELY APOLOGIZING... I posted this chapter on tumblr weeks ago and I kinda may have forgotten that exists. Then, the veritable hell that is FIRST robotics has consumed all of my free time. It's my last competition this weekend, so hopefully my life will eventually balance out again. Anyways, here's chapter 3! Feel free to provide any feedback, as always!

Quick note: A few people asked me if I fence, and I in fact do not! I've been doing research and making it up along the way trying to keep it at least semi-legit. Fencing is pretty cool, though. I have a friend who fences a few states away from me. Also, it was pointed out to me that AC isn't really a popular thing in France. I researched that too, and I'm glad I was able to learn about that small factoid.

* * *

"Three nights of nonstop training is really getting to me," Marinette thought as she rolled her head around to loosen the muscles in her neck. Walking down the warm streets of Paris, Marinette slowly made her way home for the evening. She and Alya had spent the day together at her house, trying to avoid the heat in Alya's room. At the tip of dusk, Marinette now begins her trudge home, trying to work out the stiffness in her muscles.

She had to admit, fencing gave her a workout like she had never experienced before. Marinette was sure that without her Ladybug fitness, she would be absolutely dying.

Then, she mused, without her Ladybug fitness, she wouldn't be in this position at all.

The sticky warmth of the late summer air was alleived only slightly when the sun finally sank below the tops of the buildings, lending way to shadows crossing the streets. By the time Marinette reached the door of the Dupain-Cheng bakery, night had fallen. She climbed upstairs to have dinner with her parents, then retreated to her room.

Marinette spent the rest of her quiet evening practicing her moves, watched by the ever encouraging Tikki. Chat had left the bag of equipment with her, which she carefully stored away until night fell.

Marinette went over each move carefully, over and over again, committing each move to muscle memory. Shortly, she heard the now familiar knocking on her trap door, and went to open it. She saw Chat, and to her surprise, another black bag with him.

"What's that for, Chat? There's already equipment here.," she asked.

"Tonight, we're going to do some sparring. Obviously we can't replicate actual match conditions in your room, but it's good practice," he said, deftly making his way into her room.

Chat unzipped the bag and started pulling out different pieces of protective equipment. He began handing assorted pieces to her, and feigning confidence, Marinette started to pull them on. Presently, Chat looked up to see that Marinette had started to put her things on in the wrong order. Odd. Her mouth was screwed in concentration trying to make all of the pieces that couldn't go together, go together.

He spoke up, asking, "Marinette? You know the chest protector goes on before the pants, right?"

Her head whipped up to stare at him before laughing nervously, "Oh ya! My old equipment must have worked differently than yours."

She went back to putting her gear on the right way. Chat wasn't having any of it.

Old equipment? Working differently?

First of all, any old equipment she owns, she should have with her. Goodness knows how expensive it is! A few days ago, she said that she had no idea where her sword was. Again, that's not a piece of equipment that someone just loses. Secondly, he had never, ever, heard of equipment "working differently." It's all pretty standard across the board.

And anyways, how long ago was it that she fenced? She couldn't have lost and outgrown her gear, forget how to use her gear, be out of practice, and still be crazy in shape all at the same time.

Venturing another question, Chat asked, "Where is your old equipment, anyways? It would be interesting to look at and compare."

In response, Marinette said, "I think my parents must have sold it or something, I couldn't really keep up with fencing as much as I used to."

"Your parents sold everything? Including equipment like your helmet and sword?"

"Sadly, I think that's the case, but who ever thought I would need it again right?", she looked over and smiled at Chat.

Chat likened a weak smile back in her direction.

Didn't she say that she didn't know where her sword was only a few nights ago?

There was a puzzle here, Chat reasoned, and the pieces just weren't fitting. For whatever reason, there's more to Marinette's fencing story.

But what? But why? This duel isn't a huge deal. It's just their class having a little fun. Nothing bad could come from this. If there was something that was making this duel more difficult for her, then he would feel really bad about making her do it.

"You know, Marinette, what you're doing isn't life or death, right? I'm sure that if you feel uncomfortable that you could call it off. I wouldn't tell anyone," Chat winked.

"NO! I mean; no, it's fine. I have to go through with this. Besides, I've been getting better, haven't I? You said so yourself," Marinette said from the ground, where she was struggling to finish putting on her equipment.

Although slightly startled by her initial outburst, Chat went over and knelt down saying, "Here, let me help." He started to straighten things out and secure everything together.

Concentrating on knotting some laces, he said quietly, "You never have to do anything you don't want to. I know Adrien would never hold it against you."

He looked up suddenly to find her staring back at him straight into his eyes, inches away from his face.

Slowly, she responded, "I know that, Chat. But I'm doing it anyways."

Marinette's heart was fluttering. She stared into his eyes, taking in his features from so close. Her best friend, her partner. Separated by his mask and her secret.

She put her hand on his shoulder.

"Everything you've helped me with, I'm thankful for."

Chat nodded and moved back to stand up, grabbing her hands to pull her up along the way. Still achingly close, he studied her open features, looking for something. The missing puzzle piece maybe.

They stood like that for an eternal moment, hands clasped in silence, staring at each other. They slowly pull away at the same time in silent agreement, and Chat retreats to put on his equipment.

Marinette's hands fall to her sides. They tingle where they touched the leather of Chat's suit. She rubs them together to rid herself of the feeling and focuses on watching Chat put on his protective gear like she should have.

In those moments, Chat had looked so open and unguarded. Very questioning too, like there was something he just wanted to ask, but didn't know how to word it exactly. Barely two minutes later, Chat had suited up entirely in the time it took her to figure out which glove was which. He looked over with a face-splitting grin. Calling out, "Catch!", he tossed over a helmet, which Marinette caught with ease. He put his helmet on and got into an en garde stance. Marinette followed, and they began to spar, an intricate dance combining technique, intrigue, and a little bit of mystery.

When they finally parted ways that night, they were both followed by a cloud of confusions and questions.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi everyone! I know I suck, sorry I haven't updated in forever. Here's chapter four, let me know your thoughts!

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One week down. One to go. Marinette couldn't take this anymore. The stress of the match, the terror of the lie falling apart, even Chat's presence kept throwing Marinette off.

It was evening, and Marinette was preparing herself for yet another class with her partner. Each night, they fall into a beautiful pattern of spars, matched again and again, one versus the other. A dizzying dance of Yin and Yang that would leave anyone but them spinning.

Marinette, armed with street smarts, a bit of luck, and a thorough knowledge of how Chat's mind works, was able to blossom as an ametuer fencer over the course of a week.

Chat, armed with experience, training, and superhero cockiness, was impressed by his student. Each match they played sharpened her skills and her ability.

Though she was certainly no expert, Marinette was happy to be able to scrape by as a passable athlete. Her biggest problem currently was the damned cat himself. That sly, slick, and INFURIATING partner of hers was tying her up in knots. She knew she shouldn't be jealous that Chat was so much better than her, considering she had never picked up fencing equipment until this week, but she's a competitive soul.

And another thing. Fencing, on principle requires a lot of serious movement and eye contact. Fencing is a game of confidence before it is a game of swords. Marinette has known Chat for a long time, and only she knows how cocky and silly he can be, while still be missing major chunks of confidence. Yet, when they square off for a match, there's this quiet confidence that seems to build up and practically ooze out of him. The difference gives him an animalistic aura, making each wink and smirk boil Marinette's brain a little bit more. And the eye contact. Time and time and time again, in the seconds before the face masks cover them from the world, brilliant green eyes are egging Marinette on in challenge. She wants to turn away, but cannot. She is not one for backing down from a challenge, even when the challenge is careening them into dangerous territory.

If Chat Noir's usual antics can be compared to some cheap drink at the bar that gets you tipsy in a matter of sips, Chat Noir while fencing is like a bucket of ice water to the face. Shocking, bold, and gives Marinette shivers.

Marinette keeps mulling over thoughts like these in her mind, a whirlwind of spars and maneuvers and green eyes and cats and messy blonde hair and… well, you get the point. Chat was coming really late tonight, which was nice. Marinette had patrolled with him a while ago so it would make sense that he wanted to come a bit later to make sure that he was rested and ready for the second half of a physically exhausting day. So, she waited. She spent her time between reviewing fencing topics, talking quietly to Tikki, and even napped a bit. The late hour, combined with the exertion of the past week and the familiar sleepiness that comes after an adventurous patrol, left Marinette in a dreamy haze.

Soon enough, she hears a signature soft knocking above her. Marinette peels herself away from her warm bed, and with a yawn, goes to open the hatch.

Filling the entranceway was her cat, flashing her a dazzling smile. "Evening, Princess," he says, "How are we tonight?"

She giggled slightly, still in a sleepy trance. Spinning around to let him in, she says, "I never knew fencing could be so exhausting!" Chat, nearly halfway through the hatch, freezes at Marinette's words. His eyes follow her suspiciously as she practically collapses on her bed. Marinette flops down face first and rolls over so Chat can see her face. She looks over at Chat with a soft smile, half-lidded eyelids, and cloudy eyes. "It's so tiring, but I love how it feels."

At this point, Chat's brain has short-circuited. Nothing was adding up anymore from the entire week . To assume the best, she was tired and making conversation. To assume the worst, she was hiding something big. Marinette, as he knows her, is a virtuous soul, and would never make up blatant lies without reason. Whatever she is doing, she's in deep. Going as far as lying to her entire class, fencing with him as Adrien, then coming to him for help as Chat, there's something seriously wrong.

By now, Chat had settled himself in Marinette's room, far enough away to keep distance, but close enough to observe. The teen lay practically spread-eagle on her bed, smile still on her face and her eyes just barely shut.

Knowing full well that Marinette was not in the mental capacity right now to fence, and the confusion on his part about what Marinette is hiding from him and their classmates, it might not be a good idea to practice tonight. He walks over and says, "Marinette, I don't think practice is a good idea tonight. I think both of us are tired so we wouldn't be able to focus on our form."

Through Marinette's haze, she registered Chat's words and frowned. That wouldn't do. She should be practicing or at least discussing strategy with Chat for her upcoming duel. Panic gripped her. Marinette's eyes flew open and she sat up quickly to grab Chat's arms. "No! I'm ok! I need to be ready! I need strategy and practice! Please, Chat."

Chat was taken aback by her behavior, somehow managing to baffle him even more than her words said while half-asleep. The two polar opposites of behavior were screaming siren beacons telling him again that something was wrong. In an attempt to placate her, Chat steadies her shaking arms with his own. "Let's get out of the house. We can talk and strategize there. Maybe with a clear head and a change of scenery, you'll learn more."

Inwardly, Marinette groaned. She didn't need to take another grand tour of Paris tonight, especially if Chat was going to spend it acting like her aerial tour guide. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball with Chat to get him to shut up for a bit and they would doze and be peaceful and… you know what, getting out of the house might not be a bad idea.

Marinette sighed, and got out of her bed, pulling Chat across their bed dexterously making her way up to the rooftop, and pulling him up behind her. "Well Chat, you said a change of scenery will be good. I've lived in Paris all my life, so I'm giving you a challenge: Impress me."

Chat quirked an eyebrow. Although he was frankly scared of whatever secret she may be hiding, Chat learned one important lesson over the course of the week. Marinette had a sassy streak a mile wide.

He grabs her carefully, and takes off. They fly through the sky, soaring over the streets below. It certainly is a different perspective when you're in someone's arms versus when you're the one throwing the yo-yo. Both had their perks, though.

Chat finally reached his destination, and he and Marinette settle near the edge of the building. Compared to the bustle of the vastly more populated areas of Paris, these side streets were quiet. Soft lights shine out onto the pavement. A small cafe is still open. Marinette can hear strains of peaceful music mixed with soft conversation from the people down below. Even when Paris is asleep, there is always something going on. That never ending heartbeat of Paris lays before her. A a surge of pride and protectiveness washed over Marinette. She glanced at her partner. They kept this city safe together.

"It must be a hard job, keeping all these people safe," Marinette noted, gesturing to the people below.

"I love it more than anything. I have so much freedom and a chance to do good. And I'm so lucky to have Ladybug as my partner. Having the chance to become Chat Noir was one of the best things to happen to me," he said.

"I think Ladybug feels the same way, that you're her partner. You guys balance each other out so well."

Chat gave a dreamy sigh, looking out across the rooftops. "We keep each other level. I'll always appreciate her for that."

Marinette blushed slightly. She knew Chat Noir was a dork and a massive flirt, but she also knew he cared deeply. Hearing just how much he cares for her alter ego still takes her by surprise.

Switching to another subject, she asked, "Remember the first time we met? It was under much more harrowing circumstances. I'm glad that I've been able to get to know you, even if I'm under a scary deadline."

Chat chuckled and patted her arm. "I'm glad I could get to know you too. I make an attempt to connect with the people of Paris. Besides, if there's a princess in need of rescuing, you have the protection of me!," nudging Marinette to the side.

Marinette snickered and nudged Chat right back. "Sometimes, I think you're the princess, given how dramatic you are."

Chat grimaced. "You wound me. How cruel can you be to your own fencing coach?"

In reply, Marinette shrugged. "I'm not cruel I'm just stating the facts."

At that, Chat laughed. Not just a small snort or giggle, but a full out laugh. His laughter was contagious, and soon Marinette was laughing with him. They laughed together for a while, before settling down into a contemplative silence. By then, Marinette and Chat were scooted close together. They weren't close enough to be touching, but both teens were supporting themselves with their arms, which crossed behind their backs at this point.

Chat was scheming a witty comeback to banter back to Marinette. He turned to face her, asking, "Marinette?"

Her head moved from where she was studying the rooftops in front of her to look Chat in the eyes. "Yes, Chat?"

Boom. Like that, Chat completely forgot his question. They had made dangerously prolonged eye contact across the room from each other before sparring. The benefit of that was the 10 feet of space between them. Now, less than 10 inches of her, he could really look into her eyes.

At school, it was difficult to talk to Marinette face to face, because it seemed like she either didn't want to talk to him or avoided any and all eye contact when she did.

Here, tonight, right now, he caught the full force of her eyes. His heart had been hammering in his chest for the better part of the evening anyways. The easy intimacy and conversations they had were like puzzle pieces sliding right into place in his heart. In the back of his mind, it noted that she had the same color eyes as Ladybug.

Well, that meant one thing and one thing only.

He must have a thing for blue eyes.

She blinks, still wondering what his question could be. Chat sputters a few times, then pieces together a sentence. "Maybe it's time to get going? We're both pretty tired."

Marinette agreed. Chat sprung up first and lent his hands down to help pull Marinette up. Before long, they are airborne again, heading towards the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

It only takes what feels like a few seconds before they arrive on her rooftop. Marinette can only wonder how long they had been out. They stood together in an awkward close proximity, both unsure of what to do.

"I had a nice night Chat," started Marinette. "I had been exhausted from the entire week, so the night out was a nice breath of fresh air." She grabbed his hands with her own, noting the contrast between her light hands and his black gloves. "Thank you."

Chat releases one hand from hers, to caress Marinette's face. What loveliness she has, what a beautiful aura.

He says softly, "The pleasure was all mine, Princess."

In a move of extreme boldness and possibly idiocy, he leans forward to brush his lips softly against her cheek. In the few seconds his lips contact her smooth skin, he feels the wild heat of her cheeks. When he finally draws away, he notices the blazing blush dusting her cheeks. Before making a bigger fool of himself by standing there and continuing the staring contest he was now having with Marinette, he slowly released his hold on her other hand to make his escape.

Marinette, dumbfounded, could only watch as he walked to the edge of the roof, right before leaping off into the night. She told herself to move, to say something, anything. He couldn't just leave!

"Chat! Wait!" She yelled out, scrambling over to his spot a few feet away. Marinette catches up to him, takes his face in both of her hands, and pulls him down to meet her mouth. If only for a few delicious, glorious seconds, their lips met in an explosion of emotion.

Marinette backs away first, Chat trailing behind her at first, chasing her lips so they could touch for a few microseconds more, before pulling away too. They stare, wide eyed, at each other for a few seconds. With a quiet "Good night, Chat," from Marinette, she steals away to her room below.

Chat stands for a few seconds on the roof of the Dupain-Cheng bakery in contemplative thought. Then his face breaks into an ear splitting grin as he takes off towards home. Tonight was a good night.

At the same time, Marinette was screaming into her pillow. Tonight was a confusing night. But Chat is a good kisser.


End file.
